A New Beginning for Nikola and Possibly for Helen
by Vacumatic
Summary: Nikola has been revamped.  He has an opportunity to start his vampiric life again and change his relationship with Helen.
1. Chapter 1

**Post Awakenings**

Nikola and Helen began the long trip back to the Sanctuary. He had been revamped, thanks to her. Nikola reflected on how Helen had exhibited grace in actually apologizing to him about destroying Afina and for the loss of the once mighty Sanguine vampiris race. Helen had grown weary of listening to his almost deification of vampires, but she nevertheless admired that he had found a way to accept and even embrace what he had become; a lesser man might have retreated into self-loathing or gone over to the darkness completely. Nikola had experimented with the latter, Helen reminded herself, remembering his vampire ghouls. She knew though what it was like to be alone and, she thought she understood his motives for trying to create others like him.

Helen was pleased that Nikola had been revamped, to some extent selfishly, as he was now immortal, and should not die before her; she really did not want to be the last of the Five. Well, John was out there, but he was even more difficult and dangerous than Nikola given the abnormal entity against which he waged a constant internal struggle. Helen thought of how Nikola had fought against his own queen for her, choosing to accept annihilation of his kind for her and for humanity. He could have stopped Helen by warning Afina, and yet he had passed that crucible. That he had done so resonated deeply with her.

Nikola for his part reflected on how Helen had not given up. Nikola himself was resigned to die. Whilst Helen was trying to modify the blast gun, he had quipped about Henry's lack of proper insulation around the gun's plasma coil and told her to find another date to the prom. It made for good drama, Nikola thought, but Helen was not sidetracked by it and she proved herself, once again, to be most resourceful.

"My god, but she did whack at that amber to break through," Nikola chuckled to himself.

"Will I be able to thank her properly; can I get beyond my sarcasm and flippant responses?" Nikola wondered. "She saved me even knowing that I would once again be a vampire."

"Ultimately," thought Nikola with a grim set to his face, "can I forgive Helen for not loving me enough, for choosing first John and then James?"

Helen was saddened to see the distant look on Nikola's face. It was a long flight back to the Sanctuary and Nikola was brooding. She wondered whether he was hatching some new scheme for world domination. "Did he learn nothing from his experience with Afina to show him how dark that path was?" She knew he was upset about the loss of the Praxian map, as was she.

"Does he further blame me for the probable loss of the last of the vampires?" Helen sighed and began to write her report for the Sanctuary files.


	2. Chapter 2

** I hope everyone is patient as I build the story. Nikola requires extra chapters, not willing to just let me get on with it. The whole story is currently in draft form, and I will get more and perhaps all up by the end of the week. Feedback is great – anyone out there? Newbie writer who finds Nikola fascinating.**

**The Sanctuary**

Helen settled into her routine; further research on Hollow Earth would need to wait. New abnormals had been brought to the Sanctuary in her absence, and the daily work of keeping the residents fed and safe took time. Will had left a daunting pile of papers on her desk, each one needing her review. Nikola retreated to his lab; he had grown accustomed to solitude over the past sixty years, and he found his own counsel best as he contemplated his "resurrection." Helen saw him for staff meetings and the occasional dinner. She was concerned about how quiet he was, hardly engaging in the verbal riposte that generally defined their interactions. "Honestly," she muttered to no one in particular, "he can work out of this funk on his own."

Helen looked forward to the coming week. The children, as Nikola often referred to Will and Kate, were off to meet with the team at the London house; Will had some behavioural insights to share from his ongoing research on Jessapeds, a dangerous abnormal that shoots poisonous quills. Kate had built upon these insights and developed techniques to safely capture these abnormals.

Helen suggested that Henry take some time off during the anticipated quiet time, provided he would be available in case of emergency. He happily accepted her offer: vacations, even those with a requirement to stay in touch, were a precious commodity at the Sanctuary.

The big guy helped see Will and Kate off; Henry took his own leave. The big guy mused that it was Dr. Magnus who really needed a vacation. She would never take a real one, he knew, because she took responsibility for the Sanctuary. It was a heavy burden, but she bore it well. She stood as the protector of all abnormals and was rightly proud of that. He was however perceptive and could see the cracks. He knew that she needed some help, even if she did not. He hoped that Dr. Magnus would reconnect with Tesla.

"She needs someone who can match her strength, her intellect and understand the complexities that come with a life lived well past its intended expiration," the big guy mused. "Perhaps Tesla, flawed though he was, can fill the role?" Druitt's name never came to mind as he pondered this issue.

"I'm going to head into the City to work with Will's law enforcement colleagues." The big guy announced to Helen after the others had left. "They keep calling me for additional training on proper techniques for handling and capturing abnormals. I'll make the morning and evening rounds and be just a phone call away."

Helen was not entirely happy. While she wanted a week of peaceful solitude, she had counted on him as being part of that. He was an excellent companion, she thought, as he provided a good listener when she wanted to talk and made himself busy elsewhere when she needed time to herself. "He is unlike someone else I know," she thought.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Nikola's Lab**_

Helen watched her colleagues head off, realizing that she would be more or less alone with Nikola. Helen had spent limited time with Nikola since their return from eastern Africa. She did not know whether she had the patience to put up with him, particularly without the children and the big guy. "Right," she thought, "I'll go flush him from that burrow of a lab and sort this out now. I've too much work to catch up on during this week."

Nikola had been busy all day; a particular toxin emitted by a newly-discovered abnormal interested him, and he was researching its properties to determine if it could be integrated into the Sanctuary's non-lethal weapons. He was lazily operating as a conduit between a power source and the prototype weapon. He could have used a proper power cord, but he would have needed to find a coupling, and besides, he was loading the gun's battery cells at a rate well beyond what the available cords could handle. He failed to notice that the gun was emitting smoke and a few sparks.

Helen chose this moment to enter. The air was charged in the lab. "So this must explain that hair of his," Helen thought with a smile. Her smile disappeared as she looked first at Nikola and then at the weapon that he was slowly destroying.

"Nikola! Stop! Can't you see the smoke?" Helen shouted. She dare not touch the gun as she could see the current flowing into it.

Nikola looked up from his work and gave her a wide smile. Removing his hand from the gun, he warmly welcomed her. "Helen my dear, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" He looked a bit crestfallen as he watched her scan the lab, giving off a disapproving look as her eyes finally settled again on the gun, which still emitted smoke and the occasional spark. He tried again, "Are you here about that Claret?"

"I came down to invite you to dinner," she stated, still assessing the status of the lab. Looking at the gun, she stated, "I believe you have tortured that particular weapon enough. Are you set on similarly destroying all of my arms?" she asked.

"Come now, Dr. Magnus. I am improving your weaponry. A few casualties must be expected." Nikola responded, just as the gun burst into flames.

"Yes, well, leave the rest of my armory alone. Dinner is at seven," she stated and turned towards the door.

Helen paused in the doorway and turned around. "What did you say about my Claret?"

"Genius must be fed" he winked, "or at least hydrated."

Helen left, wondering sourly whether he had indeed been in her wine cellar again. She had installed a devilishly complicated mediaeval lock, but she knew he could open it. His preternatural strength would itself be sufficient to the task, but Nikola would not use blunt force. No, Helen knew, he would instead accept the challenge and work through the lock's defences until it surrendered. She had hoped however that he would not have discovered the new lock so soon. Now that his inner vampire had been restored, he did not even get drunk, so her cellar was certainly in peril.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Dinner Between Friends**_

Nikola was definitely not himself during dinner, Helen thought. He asked her for her thoughts on some of his latest findings and on whether a change in methodology would help. He actually listened to her responses, treating her like a colleague. She barely noticed his typical arrogance. She thought back to their days up at Oxford when she was quite taken with a certain brilliant young foreigner who blew off tutorials and lectures but wowed his instructors with his weekly papers. Nikola had disdain for the institution once he no longer felt challenged. Of course he had received a First upon graduating, but so had they all.

He regaled her with humourous stories from the past sixty years. His acerbic wit was on display as he provided his interpretation of the Korean War, Vietnam, the Cuban missile crisis, Watergate, and then the Lewinsky affair. He had her in stitches as he first pantomimed Nixon's denials and then imitated Clinton's responses to the Congressional hearings. Helen noticed that he carefully omitted certain periods and events.

The dinners continued for the remainder of the week; they alternated in choosing the evening meals and cooked together. Helen grew accustomed to long evenings together. The wine cellar would need replenishing, but Helen was enjoying herself too much to begrudge him some of her better vintages.

Nikola proved himself to be an excellent cook, not that she was surprised. As long as he did not trumpet his many abilities, be they physical or mental, she was happy to compliment him.

Nikola too found these evenings delightful and the highlight of his days. He had loved Helen from the beginning, but he had also respected her keen intellect. He further admired her general compassion and her resulting work at the Sanctuary to help all abnormals. Also, she had not given up on him, despite some rather stupid things that he had done.

"She is my only real friend," Nikola reflected morosely, staring at his wine. "Would that James were still with us. Not even our combined intellect could stop him from ageing."

Helen paused in the middle of recounting her trip with Ashley that had involved collecting some Nubbins. She noticed that Nikola was no longer listening but had retreated into his own world. She looked at him with a mixture of fondness and pity. Nikola did not notice.

Friday night marked their last evening together before the children and the big guy returned. To celebrate this last dinner alone together, Helen invited Nikola to watch a DVD with her. He had mentioned that he had missed the London performance of Les Troyens to tag along with her to eastern Africa. Helen knew the artistic director of the company, and she had managed to get a copy of the performance. While the taped performance could not compare to live, Helen thought that the big guy's new TV and sound system would do it justice.

"Nikola loves the opera because it is as melodramatic as he is, especially Berlioz," Helen smiled as she opened the special delivery packaging containing the DVD.

Nikola accepted her invitation, looking relieved that the evening was not coming to an end as the others had, with him spending the evening between dinner and bedtime alone with his thoughts. While he really did not need sleep as a vampire, he had routinely kept the practice so as not to raise questions or to stand out.

Helen settled into the couch, thinking that the big guy had good taste in creature comforts. Nikola sat an arm's length away from her with his back ramrod straight. "You're not sitting an exam," she giggled as she pulled him closer. "Pretend we are back at Oxford," she directed. While Nikola needed no encouragement, he was careful not to overstep the boundaries as he understood them. Flirting with Helen and getting rejected was one thing, but this situation was fraught with perils.

Nikola thoroughly enjoyed the performance. Helen was pleased and relaxed into his arms. She fell asleep as the fourth act began.

Helen woke to silence. The performance was long over and a screen saver danced over the screen. The faint hum of the speakers could also be heard. She felt safe and comfortable. In her sleep she had snuggled into Nikola's chest. His head rested on top of hers and her hand was in his. His breathing was quiet, and she mused about whether he was asleep. He was pleasantly cool, and his chest provided just the right amount of cushioning.

Nikola for his part was enjoying the soft form of Helen in his arms. He awoke as soon as she stirred but he remained still, not wanting to break the moment. Her body was pressed to his and he felt the old attraction flare, more so now that they had spent so much time together. His body reacted to her presence, but he quickly stifled his arousal. "Ah, control, yet another benefit of my vamp side," he thought. He did not want to scare off Helen, although he thought smugly, he could certainly satisfy her, both before and definitely after becoming a vampire, but her thoughts on this were unclear. Indeed, the direction of the whole week was unclear to Nikola.

"Have we been dating, courting, or merely hanging out as friends like back at Oxford?" Nikola wondered.

He did not really care at the moment, as he had Helen pressed against him. She had fallen back asleep. He doubted that he would sleep anymore that evening, as he did not want to miss a moment of this wonderful sensory experience. He kissed the top of her head and inhaled deeply to memorize her feminine scent for the inevitable lonely days ahead.

The big guy found Helen and Nikola intertwined in front of the TV the next morning. They looked at peace. He was not surprised – he knew that Nikola, underneath his flirting bravado, cared deeply for Helen. He had not been sure about Helen's feelings, but her comments about Nikola's near death had suggested that she too might feel something for Nikola. The big guy was happy that Will, Kate and Henry would not return until that evening. While they might be as pleased for Helen as he was, he knew that all were prone to making light of things and could say something to upset this budding relationship. The big guy quietly withdrew and left the couple in peace.

Helen slowly woke to sunshine warming her face. She opened her eyes to find Nikola staring intently at her, his lips curved into a gentle smile. "He is so beautiful," she thought as she stared into his large, expressive eyes. As she became more awake, she struggled with the unfamiliar surroundings. She then remembered the past evening's events. Unnerved, she got up quickly, relieved that no one else was around. She mumbled about needing to get to work and about inspecting new containment areas in preparation for arriving abnormals. Nikola would have liked more time, but he hid his unhappiness well, being accustomed to it over the many years of loving the great Helen Magnus. He had watched her with John and then with his dear friend James.

The children returned that day, and Nikola no longer had his precious Helen to himself.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Full House**_

Nikola retreated to his lab now that the children had returned, following his pattern from before their departure. He thought briefly of leaving, taking just the memories of that special week with Helen. After all, he had gone cold turkey off of Helen for sixty years, filling those years with work and debauchery. Nikola had fully indulged in drink and women. He had also given over to his vampiric appetites during that period, something he was not entirely comfortable with now, and certainly not something he wished to share with Helen. As an immortal, Nikola had not counted the days nor had he sought to imbue them with meaning. Occasionally he had inserted himself into the affairs of men, helping to tilt the playing field one way or the other. Helen would at least be proud of those activities, he thought. Nikola's brief return to morality had however made him more thoughtful with respect to how he spent his time and with whom.

Nikola explained to the group that he was staying at the Sanctuary because he needed its vast resources and his lab. The big guy knew that Helen was the reason that he remained. Helen was pleased but did not think about it too much; she was just happy that he was not trying another play at world domination.

Will, Kate and Henry were quite concerned. It fell to Will, as the heir apparent to the Sanctuary, to check up on Nikola.

Will entered Nikola's lab. Nikola knew he was there, but continued with his experiment, hoping that Will would go away.

"Do you want to have a session some time? I am a trained psychiatrist," Will said. "Now that you are here full time, it might be best."

"Best for whom?" Nikola turned to face Will and asked in an icy tone. "I studied under both Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud. Perhaps I ought to be examining you." Nikola quipped.

"Well, you have been through a near-death experience, and often it helps for survivors to discuss these matters with a professional," Will said, ignoring Nikola's retort. He wisely chose not to add that he thought that Nikola particularly needed professional help since he was, in Will's opinion, mentally imbalanced even before recent events.

"Should I have need of your "services" _Doctor_ Zimmerman, trust that I will let you know." Nikola stared the man down, his eyes turning completely black as he let the darkness take over, just enough to make an impression on young Will.

Will retreated. Nikola was dangerous, a trait that he was now exhibiting. Will had tried to make Helen see this on numerous occasions, but she had always dismissed his concerns, albeit in a much less threatening manner than did Nikola. Will shook his head. "Okay, I have not been alive for over a century and did not personally study with the founders of modern psychotherapy, but I still know a dangerous nutcase when I see one. What a prick!" Will fumed to himself as he left Nikola alone.

Nikola hoped that Will would convey his message that he wanted to be left alone to the other children. Though he was trying to behave around his beloved, he made no such pretences around the children. Will's prattling had hit close to home; Nikola was having problems, but he certainly had no intention of sharing with Will. The big guy, not surprisingly, Nikola thought, did not meddle. He understood why Helen so valued having him around.

"Perhaps our new abnormal should be in a containment area instead of being given a lab and unfettered access to the Sanctuary." Henry said during the next staff meeting, one of the many that Nikola had chosen not to attend.

Will knew that Henry was on thin ice, even without looking at the thin line of Helen's lips and her steely gaze. "We are all just a bit concerned, Dr. Magnus," Will stated, trying to smooth things over. "You have to admit that he is rather self-absorbed," Will stated, choosing his words carefully. "He could, without intending to of course, harm the Sanctuary as he single-mindedly pursues his own projects."

Helen stood, her nostrils a bit flared. "That is quite enough. I had no idea that you lot spent so much time considering this matter." "May I remind you," Helen punctuated each word, "that Nikola recently weaponized a certain toxin and incorporated it into our weapons." She turned to face Henry. "You'll recall, Henry, your own inability to make _any_ progress with that same toxin. Thanks to Nikola, we now have more non-lethal options at our command and can thereby help more abnormals."

"Let's move on, shall we," Helen commanded, staring down each of them.

After the meeting, Helen thought about the exchanges. She realized that none of them had the perspective that she had gained over the last one hundred and fifty years, but she was particularly sensitive to criticisms of Nikola. After all, he had chosen to save her and humanity rather than allow Afina, his queen, to once again reign. None of them had made a similar sacrifice, she noted.

Neverthless, she knew that it was not good to have discord at the Sanctuary and that Nikola was certainly partly to blame. The big guy had told her of Will's last meeting with Nikola. "Fancy Will offering to mentally examine Nikola." Helen thought with a smile. She knew that as useful as Will could be, he was also a bit of a prig, and Nikola was just the person to rein him in.

At that moment, there was a knock on her office door. "Come," Helen said absentmindedly.

"Would you like to have dinner tonight? I found some wild strawberries at the local market as well as some Belgian endives and the most perfect porcini mushrooms," Nikola enthusiastically asked.

Helen looked up with a puzzled expression. "Oh, I thought those were leftovers from last week. I asked the big guy to whip up something for dinner. Do join us Nikola."

"No, I really do have some experiments that will need monitoring during dinner. I had quite forgotten them." Nikola stated, looking a bit crestfallen. He excused himself.

"Well another time, then." Helen paused to wonder at Nikola's mood. She smiled as she recalled their special week together. Things seemed so different and so complicated now that everyone was back. Each of the children demanded so much time, she thought. "Really, I must stop thinking of them as children."

Returning to her musings about the earlier staff meeting, she made a mental note to check in with Nikola. "Well, if Nikola won't join us for dinner, I suppose I'll have to make it down to that infernal lab of his." Helen resolved. "I best check in any case to make sure he is not being destructive again."


	6. Chapter 6

_**Nikola's Room**_

Helen tried on three separate occasions to find Nikola in his lab. He was out each time. She thought of leaving a note, but she wanted the visit to be an impromptu one. She planned to ask him to be more patient with the children, even if just for her.

"The depletion of my wine cellar clearly indicates that he is still onsite. Perhaps I should bait a trap with a bottle of Claret?" Helen thought in exasperation.

Later that week, Helen was heading back to her rooms around 2 am. She had never needed much sleep and needed even less after taking the Source blood. The Sanctuary was mercifully quiet in the middle of the night. The nocturnal abnormals were a particularly well-behaved group, she thought.

She paused on front of Nikola's bedroom door, briefly toying with the idea of going in just to confirm his continued presence. She dismissed the idea and started to walk away when she heard noises from within. Helen entered without a second thought. She paused at the sight before her. Nikola was spread eagle on his back, wearing nothing but a pair of black silk boxers. She stared appreciatively at his glistening torso; the moonlight casting his sculpted torso in relief. Her eyes then travelled down to his boxes. Snug boxers, she thought. She chided herself for allowing her eyes to rest overly long on his manhood. "Thank god he is wearing something," she thought.

Nikola was muttering incoherently, clearly asleep. He was shaking his head back and forth, his muttering occasionally punctuated by a forcefully spoken "Stop!" and then whimpering.

Helen knew that Nikola had done some terrible things as a vampire and had also been tortured on more than one occasion. It did not surprise her that he continued to suffer. Indeed, she thought, it showed that his humanity remained, despite his vampiric lineage.

"Helen, why won't you help?" Nikola cried plaintively.

Helen started until she realized that he was still asleep. She recalled her query and his response in the Praxian-turned-Vampire stronghold:

_ How long can you hold on?_

_ For the rest of my life. _

It was a poignant exchange; Nikola played his part with perfect timing and steel nerves. She knew that he must have been worried, and she had meant to follow up afterwards. Their week together would have been a good time to bring up the issue, but she had decided not to because she was enjoying his company and did not want to ruin the mood. "I chose to be complicit in Nikola's denial, just for my own ends," she thought with disgust.

Helen sat gently on the edge of the bed and touched Nikola's shoulder. He instantly vamped and sat upright. Almost as quickly, his features returned to normal.

"Dr. Magnus. Is this a house call?" he inquired solicitously.

"No, not at all. I just heard a noise from in here and wanted to check to see if you were all right." Helen responded.

Nikola almost responded with sexual innuendo but caught himself. "Thank you," he said.

Helen stood to go, wondering why she was still there. "Yes, well, I should be going. You seem quite alright."

Nikola touched her arm and said gently, "Please stay, just until I go back to sleep."

Helen hesitated, but the loneliness that she saw in his face made her agree. "Well, just for a few minutes," she said.

Helen climbed into the bed and held Nikola to her chest. She was wearing a short summer nightgown and was keenly aware of their bare skin touching. Nikola faintly hummed with electricity and she felt it coursing through him. She comforted him by stroking his hair, just as she had done those many years ago at Oxford before the realities of life had set in.

Nikola slipped into a gentle slumber and she soon followed. She awoke a few hours later with the dawn. Nikola was spooning her. He held one of her hands in his, while the other was across her ribcage, holding her securely to him. Nikola was still sleeping, and she could feel his arousal pressing against her. "Well, I should not be surprised," she could not help noticing his size. "He is always so cocksure of himself, and now I can understand why," she giggled quietly at the double entendre.

Helen gently extricated herself, kissing his brow and smoothing his spiked hair. Nikola woke later, having enjoyed a respite from his night terrors. He smiled as he recalled Helen's visit. He was however in urgent need of release and took matters into his own hands.

The nighttime visits continued. In short order, Helen just came to his room in the middle of the night when she was ready to retire. Nikola generally waited up for her, pouring over ancient manuscripts or listening to classical music. They would drink port together on occasion, just as they had at Oxford after evening vespers.

Helen had been pleasantly surprised to notice during her last inventory that her liquor reserves had been replenished. There were some forty-year-old tawny ports along with some twenty-year-old single malt Islay scotches on the shelves. She was shocked though to find some pre-WWI bottles of Claret and Burgundy. The vintage for each was spot on, and she thought no longer available. Helen mused about how Nikola showed attention to detail in all aspects of his life, with this being no exception.

In the quiet of night with Nikola, Helen found a peace that she had not known for years. She opened up to him about John, then James, and finally Ashley. She cried as she recounted the more painful stories. Nikola held her during these times, comforting her without judgement. In time Nikola too opened up. He shared some of his darker experiences, confirming Helen's fears. He looked so pained at times that it broke her heart, and she held him close to ease his sufferings. After some of his tales, it was she who stayed awake all night, absorbing and understanding the horrific events that he had recounted. It was a cathartic experience for both of them, and this level of intimacy drew them closer together.

The rest of the Sanctuary staff found out soon enough, each having observed Helen leaving Nikola's room in the morning. The big guy said nothing. The children showed a rare survival instinct in holding their tongues as well.


End file.
